Ezekiel 37:1-14

New English Translation

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand^[a] of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and placed^[b] me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones. ² He made me walk all around among them.^[c] I realized^[d] there were a great many bones in the valley, and they were very dry. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said to him, “Sovereign Lord, you know.” ⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and tell them: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Lord’s message. ⁵ This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: Look, I am about to infuse breath^[e] into you and you will live. ⁶ I will put tendons^[f] on you and muscles over you and will cover you with skin; I will put breath^[g] in you, and you will live. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. There was a sound when I prophesied— I heard^[h] a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to bone. ⁸ As I watched, I saw^[i] tendons on them, then muscles appeared,^[j] and skin covered over them from above, but there was no breath^[k] in them.

⁹ He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath,^[l]—prophesy, son of man—and say to the breath: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these corpses so that they may live.’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as I was commanded, and the breath came into them; they lived and stood on their feet, an extremely great army.

¹¹ Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope has perished; we are cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to open your graves and will raise you from your graves, my people. I will bring you to the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you from your graves, my people. ¹⁴ I will place my breath^[m] in you and you will live; I will give you rest in your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord—I have spoken and I will act, declares the Lord.’”